(Courtesy/Mr. Wuorinen)
This summer, math teacher and former Dean of Students and Director of Admissions, Mr. John Wuorinen fulfilled a lifelong dream of traveling to Finland, the country of his ancestors. With the help of a Putnam Grant from Columbus Academy, he spent nearly three weeks there in late June and July, exploring his heritage, reconnecting with family roots, and experiencing, as he says, the unique culture of “the happiest country on Earth.”
The trip unfolded in three parts. Wuorinen first traveled with his wife, Liz Nusken, before being joined for a week by their sons Alec’13 and Calvin’16 and their fiancées, Taylor Fitzgerald and Amanda Dang ’16. Later, he hosted Mr. Olexio, Mr. Morford, and another friend, with whom he completed a memorable 300-kilometer overnight bike ride through Lake Saimaa in Finland’s Lakeland region.
Most of the trip was spent in Helsinki before traveling north to Vaasa, the coastal city where Wuorinen’s father’s side of the family originated. “The sun doesn’t set until about 2 a.m. and rises again at 4,” he said. “It’s truly the land of the midnight sun.” Each day, he and his family set out to explore, sightsee, and take advantage of the long daylight hours.
For Mr. Wuorinen, the journey carried deep personal meaning. “I grew up being proud of my Finnish heritage, but it always felt distant,” he said. “The family legend was that my grandfather skied across the Gulf of Bothnia in 1917 to escape the Russian draft during World War I. I wanted to find out if that was true.”
His grandfather later became the chairman of the history department at Columbia University, specializing in Nordic studies—something that further connected the Wuorinen family to Finland.
In preparation for his trip, Mr. Wuorinen began searching for relatives months in advance. He reached out to government offices and genealogy groups, even applying to a closed Facebook group for people from Vaasa. For months, he heard nothing. Then, just four days before his visit to Vaasa, he was accepted into the group. After posting his family story, he received 41 replies in just two hours—including two that proved especially meaningful.
One came from Camilla, a woman who turned out to be his fourth cousin. The two met in person and discovered they shared not only a family line but also a love for biking and similar perspectives on social issues. Another response came from a reporter for Vasabladet, the local Swedish-speaking newspaper, who interviewed him and his family for a full-page story about their visit. “It’s a wonderful memory for me,” he said.
Through genealogical research by the Swedish Finn Historical Society in Seattle, he also discovered an unexpected connection: he is the 12th cousin, once removed, of Finland’s president, Alexander Stubb.
Along the way, Wuorinen indulged in another passion: birding. He spotted several European species that were new to him, including some found only in the region.
His time in Finland also offered insight into the country’s politics and culture. “It’s fascinating to visit Finland now,” he said. “They share an 800-mile border with Russia, which has been closed since the invasion of Ukraine. They’ve joined NATO and developed a strong partnership with the U.S.”
In Helsinki, Wuorinen and his family indulged in a Finnish tradition by attending the city’s Pride Parade, one of the largest in Europe. “There were around 500,000 people there in a city of 700,000,” he said. “Politicians from both conservative and liberal parties marched together. It was incredible.”
Throughout his trip, he was constantly struck by the Finnish commitment to community and equality. “They have an outlook on life that’s easy to get behind,” he said. “Education is completely free, from bus rides to books to lunches. And there are no private schools. They’re willing to sacrifice individual convenience for the collective good. I bring back this notion that we should all care for each other.”
Reflecting on his travels, Wuorinen expressed gratitude to Academy for making the experience possible. “I’ve wanted to go to Finland my whole life,” he said. “And Academy made it happen.”
